Malapitan, ‘di kumikilala sa karapatan at nangha-harass, Koop humiling ng TRO

Press Release

03 February 2014

Contact person:

Mirriam Neri, President of Maypajo Caloocan Public Market Peoples’ Vendors Association

0999-8736696

 Malapitan, ‘di kumikilala sa karapatan

at nangha-harass, Koop humiling ng TRO

ISANG kooperatiba ang naglunsad ng isang “silent protest” sa Hall of Justice ng Kaloocan habang dinidinig ng Regional Trial Court Branch 121 ang kanilang kahilingan para sa isang temporary restraining order (TRO). Kung pagbibigyan ng korte, ang kooperatiba ng mga manininda sa Maypajo public market pa rin ang mamamahala dito kahit na kabaliktaran nito ang gusto ni Mayor Oscar Oca Malapitan.

Magka-kontra ng tindig ang koop at city hall sa usapin ng pamamahala ng palengke. Nagsimula ang sigalot nang sabihan ni Mayor Malapitan ang mga opisyal ng Maypajo Market Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMMPC) noong ika-2 ng Disyembre na hindi na ire-renew ng city hall ang Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) sa pagitan nila. Balak diumano ni Malapitan na pagandahin ang palengke. Nag-expire ang MOA nung ika-29 ng Enero at tumagal ng 20 taon.

Ang kasunduan ay nalagdaan nung 1994 nung Mayor pa si Macario Assistio.  Ang sentral na usapin dito ay:  Responsable ang koop sa buong pagpapatakbo ng palengke at babayaran na lang nito ang city hall ng upa kada buwan. Sa pagtatapos ng kontrata, umabot  265 libong piso ang upa nito kada buwan.

Ayon sa mga nakapanayam na vendor, mula ng matapos ang MOA ay araw-araw silang ginugulo mula ng mga tauhan ng Department of Public Safety and Traffic Monitoring (DPSTM) sa pamumuno ng isang Larry Castro. Pinipilit ni Castro ang mga may-ari ng mga pwesto na magbayad ng kanilang arawang upa.

Noong ika-31 ng Enero, sa harapan ng maraming mamimili at opisyal ng koop ay sinira ni Castro ang sound system para pigilan ang mga lider nito na manawagan sa kanilang kasapian. Humupa lamang ang tensyon nung dumating ang ilan pulis at SWAT. Ayon sa mga nakasaksi, biglang naging malumanay si Castro.

“Kahit na expire na ang MOA, obligasyon pa rin ng City Hall na kilalanin ang aming karapatan bilang lehitimong kooperatiba at mamamayang nagbabayad ng buwis at nagpapasahod sa kanila. Ayon sa Secksyon 62, Artikulo 7 ng Philippine Cooperative Code, may preferential rights kami at igigiit namin ito. Kaysa bumalik kami sa palengkeng walang sistema at pinatatakbo ng City Hall,” sabi ni Miriam Neri, kasapi ng koop at presidente ng samahan ng mga manininda.

“Mukhang nagka-amnesia na nga si Mayor, matapos niyang makuha ang boto naming sa pangako nigton susuportahan niya ang MMMPC nung siya’y nangangampanya pa lamang,” dagdag pa nito.

Ayon sa mga kasapi ng koop, ang plano ni Mayor Malapitan na hindi na ipagpatuloy ang MOA ay hindi suportado ng anumang pampublikong konsultasyon at dokumento at hindi rin bahagi ng Medium-Term Development Plan ng Lungsod ng Kalookan.

Sa bahagi naman ng City Hall, and kanilang mga hakbang ay suportado ng isang resolusyon ng sangguniang lungsod ng Kaloocan. Ayon sa resolusyon, binibigyan ng otoridad ng konseho asi Mayor Malapitan na umakto para sa kapakanan ng lokal na pamahalaan. Sagot ng MMMPC, inisyu lamang ang resolusyon nung ika-6 lang ng Disyembre pero ika-2 pa lamang ay pinangangalandakan na ni Malapitan ang kanyang planong ‘di pag-renew ng MOA sa koop.###

Coop members seek TRO against Malapitan; Decry harassment, holds “silent protest”

Press Release

03 February 2014

Contact person:

Mirriam Neri, President of Maypajo Caloocan Public Market Peoples’ Vendors Association

0999-8736696

Coop members seek TRO against Malapitan;

Decry harassment, holds “silent protest”

HARASSED market stall owners held a “silent protest” at the grounds of the Caloocan City Hall of Justice as the Regional Trial Court Branch 121 hears their prayer for a temporary restraining order (TRO). If granted by the court, the TRO shall allow the cooperative of the stall owners to continue managing the public market despite Mayor Oscar Malapitan’s opposition.

The market coop and the city government have been at odds on the question of the management of the public market of Maypajo. Controversy stemmed when Mayor Malapitan informed the officials of the Maypajo Market Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMMPC) that the city government shall no longer renew the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) last December 2.  Local government’s excuse was that, they plan to renovate the public market.  The MOA expired last January 29 and lasted for twenty years.

The pact between the market coop and the Caloocan City government was signed in 1994 under the then mayor, Macario Assistio. Key provision stipulated in the agreement was: The coop shall have full responsibility for the maintenance of the public market and will compensate the LGU for the rent of the public facility. At the expiration of the agreement, the City Hall collects about 265 thousand pesos from the Maypajo market cooperative monthly.

Market stall owners report that they are being harassed on a daily basis by City Hall officials led by a certain Larry Castro of the Department of Public Safety and Traffic Monitoring (DPSTM). Castro has been forcing stall owners to pay their daily rental obligations.

On the 31^st of January in front of regular market-goers and coop officials, Castro destroyed the coop’s public address system to stop coop officials from addressing its members. The tension only defused when police and several SWAT men arrived in the scene, Castro suddenly turned soft-spoken, witnesses said.

“Despite the expiration of the MOA, it remains an obligation of Malapitan to recognize our protected rights as legitimate cooperative and decent-living taxpayers. Section 62, Article 7 of the Philippine Cooperative Code says that we have preferential rights. We vow to exercise those rights than return to a disorderly, city hall-managed public market,” said Miriam Neri, coop member and vendors association president.

“Mayor Malapitan seems to be suffering from amnesia. This only after he courted our votes on promises that he will support the MMMPC,” she added.

The coop members allege that the decision for the city government to discontinue the MOA with the MMMPC was absent of any public consultation, public document and not even part of the Medium-Term Development Plan of the City.

City Hall claims that they have a city council resolution signed and support of the city councilors. The resolution authorizes Malapitan to act in behalf on the interests of the city government. MMMPC charged that the resolution was only issued on December 6^th but Malapitan has been notifying stall owners as early as the 2^nd of December.###